What we do on a kitchen visit
- Pop the lid; dip-stick the top crust and the bottom muck to see how full it really is.
- Check the inlet and outlet baffles, the lid gasket and the flow-control fitting.
- Jet the lines from the prep sinks, three-compartment sink and floor sinks back to the interceptor.
- Run a camera through the outlet run if the main is slow after cleaning.
- Reassemble, run hot water through every fixture and log the visit.
What builds up in a kitchen line
- Fryer and grill fat that cools and hardens on the pipe crown
- Rice, pasta and potato starch that binds the fat into a paste
- Coffee grounds and eggshell grit that settle in sags
- Dish-machine detergent that lets grease slip past, then re-solidify downstream
The Region of Durham sewer-use by-law caps the fats, oils and grease a premises may discharge into the sanitary sewer, and food-service premises are expected to keep an interceptor working.
Signs the trap is overdue
- Floor sinks that rise when the dishwasher empties
- Sour fat odour by the rear exit or mop basin
- Grey water pooling under the three-compartment sink
- Staff plunging the hand sink more than once a shift
The rules side
The Region of Durham sewer-use by-law caps the fats, oils and grease a premises may discharge into the sanitary sewer, and food-service premises are expected to keep an interceptor working. Inspectors can ask for maintenance records. Rules and frequencies change, so check the current requirements with the Region; we keep your service notes in a form you can hand over.
Habits that stretch the interval
- Plates get scraped into compost or garbage first, then rinsed
- Floor-sink baskets stay in place and get dumped at close
- Spent fryer oil: rendering drum only, sinks never
- Do not run the dish machine and pump-out at the same time
Small counters in a plaza may share a sanitary line with other tenants. If several units back up together, see drain jetting for business mains.
Questions callers ask
How often should a restaurant interceptor be cleaned?
Frequency follows the menu and the interceptor size. Busy fryer kitchens may need monthly service; light cafés much less. We measure the grease layer at each visit and set the interval from that.
Do you do early-morning kitchen visits?
Most kitchen visits begin around dawn, so the lines are clear well before prep starts.